The present invention relates generally to ballot boxes. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electronic ballot box having a system for reading voting slips in the ballot box.
The purpose of the ballot boxes is to collect the votes of electors in electoral processes, so that the votes cast may be compiled in a single container, whilst also fully assuring the intention of the elector""s vote.
The object of the present invention is to demonstrate an electronic ballot box which makes it possible to know how an elector has voted by scanning the voting slip when it is deposited in the ballot box, even if it is inserted in an envelope, so that in this way not only may the voters assigned to a given ballot box be monitored, but the ballot box may also be set up according to the parameters of the electoral process, candidates, geographical bounds, voting slip design, etc.
The present invention therefore comes under the head of ballot boxes used in elections and more specifically of electronic ballot boxes whose functions include the reading of voting slips, monitoring of voters and management of the box itself.
Hitherto the most widely used ballot boxes have had no electronic system to assist the vote counting process, the boxes being merely a receptacle in which electors deposit their votes.
Although on the one hand this system is simple, it does have a series of drawbacks, such as for instance lack of control by electronic means over the voters assigned to a given ballot box, so that such situations may arise as the same person voting twice, unauthorized persons voting, and prohibited or improper items being inserted. Although these eventualities may be monitored by members of the electoral panel, this control system is open to human error.
Furthermore, when the voting period terminates the counting process has to be conducted by opening the ballot box and reading the voting slips one by one to obtain the vote. These slips are then classified so as to proceed to count the number of votes corresponding to each of the different options, and finally to check that the total votes cast match the number of votes received by each of the parties. It is quite commonplace for a wide variety of contingencies to arise, so that the final result can only be announced with several hours"" delay, while there is even a possibility of errors occurring.
On the other hand, electronic ballot boxes have been developed which, although equipped in some cases with a scanner for reading the vote, do not allow the voting slip to be read if it is inside an envelope and are not provided with any software to enable the ballot box to be set up according to the features of the electoral process with regard to such aspects as geographical bounds, candidatures, candidates and size of voting slips. Furthermore, they do not possess any software for the management both of the machine itself and of the voters assigned to said ballot box. They are not provided with a results transmission and printing system either.
To date the electoral machines on the market have been based on CIS (Contact Image Sensor) technology and are only capable of recognizing the marks made directly on the voting slip, but are unable to identify said marks if the slips are inside an envelope.
The purpose of the present invention, therefore, is to overcome the foregoing drawbacks by developing for this purpose a ballot box which surpasses the electronic ballot boxes currently on the market in that its functional features include not only scanning the voting slip when it is inside an envelope at the time the voting slip is deposited, but also storing and classifying the votes cast, as well as monitoring electors prior to voting to decide whether they are authorized to proceed to cast their vote. Furthermore it is provided with means for transmitting information to a central management system.
The electronic ballot box in question is a ballot box that enables voting slips to be read at the time when they are deposited in it, even though they may be in an envelope, provided with two sets of software, one for setting up the actual electoral process with regard to such parameters as the geographical bounds, candidatures, candidates or voting slip design, whilst the function of the other set is to control the hardware items of the box.
The method used for scanning the voting slips, even when they are in an envelope, which assures the confidentiality of voters, is that of existing CIS (Contact Image Sensor) technology, to which a light source is added.
The electoral setup software enables an electoral database to be created on a PCMCIA card with the information referring to a given ballot box, such as the particulars of the voters assigned to that box for instance. The aforesaid card is then inserted in the box, thereby assuring that only the assigned electors may vote.
In order to assure better control, the machine can function in two different modes:
a) In voting mode, when the ballot box performs the tasks involved in vote casting and counting, which is only available to voters.
b) In management mode, in which it may only be operated by a representative of the Authorities, when the tasks of maintenance and transmission of data to a central unit can be performed.
From the point of view of configuration, the ballot box consists of a scanner responsible for performing the scanning operation when the voting slip is deposited, even if in an envelope, so that the system will go on totalling the votes of the different candidatures, while it is also provided with a device for controlling the scanner. It has a display to assist communication with the voter, a keypad for setting up the ballot box, and a PCMCIA card where the actual features of the electoral process are stored, along with the voters and results of the ballot. In order to enable the data to be transmitted to a central computer, the machine has an internal MODEM. Furthermore, once voting has come to an end, to enable the results to be printed, the ballot box is provided with a parallel communications port to an external printer, so that a printout of the election results is available immediately. The ballot box has a built-in power supply for the different components making up the box.